dubyaD40.com - Clyde's Corner

Clyde's Corner

"The NASCAR Liberal" clyde@dubyaD40.com


My Dog in the Fight by Clyde 8:46 AM Barack Obama The Senator from Illinois' greatest asset is his lack of a political track record that can be used against him. The Republicans are forced to go after his middle name and ancestral roots. One of the main reasons that senators rarely get elected president anymore is that their votes on any given piece of legislation can be used as political fodder by the opposition. Obama's record is relatively clean on that score. However, as it is many times, the greatest asset a candidate has can also be their biggest liability. Voters want to know where a candidate stands after the speeches on the campaign trail are given and Obama's record lacks a clear identity. Not because he hasn't tried to articulate his views but because there was little chance to do so since he was elected to the senate. I give him a ranking of 2 out 5 spines. Hillary Clinton Hillary's biggest plus is the Clinton name in my view. Even during the height of the Lewinsky scandal, Bill's approval ratings were in the 60's and he is genuinely loved world-wide. Tying herself to his coattails is a very astute strategy and being married to the man definitely gives her the advantage but, does anyone really believe that whoever the Democratic nominee is, would not use Bill in one capacity or another? And while I may not see how being First Lady somehow gives you a leg up on the competition when it comes to foreign policy, it does play well on the campaign trail. Her biggest vulnerability is that there is no other candidate that could unite the Republican Party more. Her Iraq vote and lack of a clear explanation could also impede her chances. I give her a ranking of 3 out of 5 spines. Bill Richardson Possibly the most qualified candidate in the field. From foreign policy to administrative policy I do not believe there is another candidate whose resume could compare. As a governor he has the knowledge needed to promote Democratic policies in Washington and I believe he possesses exactly what is needed to bring this country's image back to where we were before Dubya. Furthermore, he is genuinely respected by all and that could play well in the general election should he get the nomination. However, I doubt that happens. He lacks Party support and his message has not been as clear and distinct as it needed to be. I believe he is a stronger vice presidential candidate than presidential. I also give him a ranking of 3 out of 5 spines. Dennis Kucinich A true progressive! A man that came from modest means and did not forget it. His views on universal healthcare make him a force to be reckoned with. People are tired of the way health issues are handled in this country and want change. Kucinich in my view would be the best candidate if this were a single issue election, sadly it is not. In addition, I believe Kucinich is just a tad too much of a peacenik for my tastes. While I believe in diplomacy, there is a time when diplomacy no longer works. Face it, sometimes a president must use force, and I am not sure that Kucinich has it in him. Don't get me wrong, I think Dennis Kucinich is a great candidate and I would have no problem voting for him should he get the nomination but I just don't see it happening. I give him a ranking of 4 out of 5 spines. Chris Dodd Dodd is one of my 2 dark horse candidates. He has a great message and gobs of experience. His filibuster over the Telecom immunity bill has got to help him in Iowa and New Hampshire. His views on the occupation have always been on the mark and I believe his greatest asset is that he has no greatest asset. His views across the board are what will bring supporters to his campaign and I think he may have a real shot at polling very well. His biggest minus is that he is not well-known to the general public and that could cost him big-time. I also give him a ranking of 4 out of 5 spines. Joe Biden If there is any candidate poised to make a leap over the top tier candidates and win Iowa, I believe it to be Joe Biden. Biden is a lot stronger of a candidate than many people think. While I do not agree with all of his views, like funding the occupation or the bankruptcy bill, I do know where he stands. He articulates his positions well and they do not waver just because of the political climate. He has a fire inside him that as a voter, I find appealing whether I agree or not with what he is saying. His strategy for Iraq is clear and at least I know what it is. Whereas some of the other candidates have yet to get me able to figure just what the hell they intend to do. His biggest liability is his penchant for putting his foot in his mouth. And after what happened to Kerry, I'm pretty sure history would repeat itself. Another 4 out of 5 spines. John Edwards This is my choice for president. Edwards is a populist and is in my view the strongest candidate to take on Corporate America. His views on workers rights and free trade are on par with my own. His wife is a definite asset and the fact that he scares the ever-loving shit out of the Republicans makes him my candidate of choice. His apology for the Iraq vote, at least in my estimation, proves that he is not above being accountable for his mistakes. Something this country has been sorely lacking of, for about 7 years now. His biggest liability is being a trial lawyer and we all know how the Republicans feel about them. That is, until they get caught. Definitely 4 out of 5 spines. I do not need to agree 100% with a candidate to vote for them and out of this list there is not a single one that I would not vote for. Just some I would have to grit my teeth. Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Is this is what we've become? by Clyde 8:40 AM The following are the methods normally to be adopted: kicking, beating and anything connected with physical suffering. This method is to be used only when everything else fails. Sound familiar? Is this not what the Republicans are trying to shove down our throats? That we only use "enhanced interrogation techniques" when all else fails? Bullshit! It is human nature to use the easiest method to perform any task and the interrogation of suspected terrorists is no exception. Especially when you are more interested in its political value than of its veracity. You see, this quote is not a quote by some politician trying to protect a nation but rather a regulation put forth in August of 1943 in the Japanese Army manual "Notes for the Interrogation of Prisoners of War." After the war's end, this manual was referred to repeatedly during the prosecution of Japanese soldiers for war crimes. Death and long terms of imprisonment at hard labor were the consequences the accused face and why? Because the Americans were so appalled at the treatment of our soldiers by their Japanese captors. Inhumane treatment was looked down upon and the American people could always be proud of the way we treated our enemies. We were above torture, we were above coercion, we were Americans. Yet now, a large sector of this country's population has taken the opposite perspective. Why? The circumstances are similar. Our country was attacked, the American people wanted payback and our country went to war. What makes this time different? Could it be that the greatest generation was so good at making the lives of future generations better that they actually weakened us? The WWII generation knew that how you fought the war was just as important as winning the war. However, now we have a generation that is so into winning at all costs that we have forgotten what it is to be American. Why is that and how did it happen? What made us lose our moral compass? Could it be that we have become exactly what the terrorists claim we are? Lazy, immoral, self-indulgent candy asses that cannot handle not getting our way one hundred percent of the time. As much as I hate to admit it, I have to think it is, at least in part. We as a people are now more concerned with tummy tucks and how much hair we have on top of our head than we are with the plight of our neighbor. The one thing the WWII generation knew was that only through shared sacrifice could we grow as a nation. The Great Depression, while cruel in many ways, did have a good effect upon the people of this nation. It brought people together working for the common cause. However, it could be argued that they shared too much sacrifice and in doing so, insulated their children so much from the harsh realities of life that when the big bad boogey man came out of the closet and attacked us on 9/11 that we immediately reverted to being the spoiled children that they had raised. And like spoiled children, we did not care how we got the payback but only that we got it. And now here we are. Standing at the crossroads trying to figure out which direction do we take the country? Do we continue down the path where we are willing to do such atrocities as water boarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" in the hopes of garnering the name of some individual who might attack this country with some type of weapon? Or do we regain our morality, our sense of right and wrong, our sense of fair play and rebuke these methods of interrogation? Not only because of their unreliability but because it is the right thing to do. There is danger in both paths but only one gives us the right to feel superior. Even the authors of the Japanese Army manual knew that these types of techniques rarely worked. The passage at the top was only part of a larger paragraph detailing the use of these techniques and one can see that while their use was condoned it was not the method of choice. And when it was employed it wasn't the torture that worked but the work of another, after the torture was complete, that actually got any results. From the manual, emphasis mine: Care must be taken when making use of rebukes, invective or torture as it will result in his telling falsehoods and make a fool of you. The following are the methods normally to be adopted: (1) Torture which includes kicking, beating and anything connected with physical suffering. This method is to be used only when everything else fails as it is the most clumsy one. Change the interrogating officer when using violent torture, and good results can be had if the new officer questions in a sympathetic manner. Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Madam Speaker, the time to act is now! by Clyde 7:50 AM I'm as excited as Rush Limbaugh at scout camp over the NIE but not because of its conclusions about Iran's nuclear program. Personally, I do not trust Iran and if I were a betting man I would give odds that they really are up to some shady shit. Rather, I'm excited because finally we have the perfect storm for impeachment. First, we have the neo-cons running around as nervous as preachers who just found out the devil had been saved. And secondly, we finally have a media that is using the word "liar" when referencing Bush. These are two of the three elements we need to impeach the presiDunce. The only thing left is to get Pelosi off her ass and put impeachment back on the table. As Herculean a task as trying to analyze an Ann-dy Coulter pap smear for sure. For some unexplained reason Pelosi refuses to do her constitution duty and for the life of me I cannot understand why. She has the support of over half of the population including some top Republicans and enough evidence to convict O.J. so what the fuck is the hold up? Could it be that some backroom bullshit deal had been struck and she is just fulfilling her end of the bargain? If so, she needs to go and if she is unwilling, she must then be forced to resign as Speaker. I freely admit to my mistaken impression after the last election that Pelosi was only waiting for enough turds to float to the top of the punch bowl before bringing impeachment to the floor of the House. Plain and simple, I was suffering from cranial to rectal insertion. But now that we have enough Mr. Hankys sailing the Hi-C to take on the Spanish Armada, her refusal to put impeachment back on the table is bordering on collusion. The fact of the matter is that if lying about a blow job is an impeachable offense then lying about the nuclear capabilities of another country in order to bring about an attack should be enough to sail an impeachment through the congress faster than a Larry Craig visit to the latrine. And should Pelosi fail to act the consequences of her inaction could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. Not the type that Condi tried to envision but a big red, white and blue motherfucker. Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment